Kentucky State Police are actively searching for Emonnie Branch, a suspect at large following the fatal shooting of Trooper Hayden Phillips on Monday, September 28, 2026. The incident occurred on Interstate 65 in Warren County, near Smiths Grove, while Trooper Phillips was on patrol. Authorities have identified Branch as armed and dangerous and urge the public to contact 911 immediately if he is spotted, without approaching him. Police describe Branch as a Black man with dreadlocks. He is believed to be traveling in a blue-gray Honda Civic with temporary Alabama license plate TN018596. The vehicle was last reported near mile marker 75 on northbound I-65. The shooting resulted in the closure of northbound I-65, with motorists directed to alternative routes. Additionally, Elizabethtown police have increased law enforcement presence in the city and surrounding Hardin County. Trooper Hayden Phillips, identified as Unit 369 assigned to Post 3 in Bowling Green, was a graduate of Cadet Class 103. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Col. Phillip Burnett Jr. expressed deep condolences to Phillips’s family, loved ones, and fellow troopers, stating that Phillips’s dedication to duty and commitment to the commonwealth will not be forgotten. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under active investigation by the Kentucky State Police.